As many of you may have noticed the frequency of updates on Signalfire has gone down significantly in recent weeks. This website has always been the personal project of a single individual in the United States since it began its current incarnation five years ago.

For a variety of reasons I feel I am no longer in a position to provide a comprehensive daily review of news on both armed struggle in South Asia and the international Maoist movement. Firstly because there are other projects I consider politically important to which I am choosing to devote my time in a balance with unavoidable work and educational commitments leaving less of a margin for the extensive daily review of material required to maintain this service at a reasonable standard.

Secondly although I think the popular armed resistance led by the CPI (Maoist) is one of the few positive factors in a national context defined by growing fascist hegemony and a offensive against the working class and oppressed people I no longer consider the so called “International Communist Movement” with its proliferation of cultish microsects and blind worship of failed past movements to be worth promoting.

I have come to see Marxism-Leninism-Maoism as a theological idealism based upon a mythologization of the Cultural Revolution. If considered realistically the Cultural Revolution is a defining event of 20th century politics which marks the implosion of both state socialism as a mode of capital accumulation and the Leninist party as a political structure in correspondence with this. Maoism is a conservative effort to assimilate this rupture to a Stalinist continuity and is an obstacle to the possibilities of post-socialist and anti-theological communism.

Regardless of such differences the importance of defending comrades who are sacrificing their lives to defend popular survival rights against genocidal counter-insurgency policies is clear. However the cultish sectarianism of the “International Communist Movement” is not only irrelevant to the class struggle in most countries in which it exists it is also an obstacle to any serious global united front against fascism and repression in India.

Publishing hallucinatory statements about how “hundreds of millions” of workers and peasants are joining the “victorious people’s war” at a time when the Maoist forces in India have been pushed onto the defensive and the dangerous impasse in which the movement is stagnating is clear to anyone familiar with publicly available documents is not solidarity but irresponsible self-promotion.

Unfortunately this is precisely the sort of irresponsibility which can be expected from sectarian groups which instead of producing serious materialist criticism of setbacks like the defeat in Peru (not to speak of the absence of worker’s power in the periods of “actually existing socialism” they defend) continue to wallow in the metaphysics of the cult of personality.

Promoting the errors of such groups does nothing to advance worker’s struggles on a global level and it certainly does nothing to practically defend comrades in India who are facing the complexities of a actual war being waged against them by the state. The CPI (Maoist) whatever its many flaws is playing a indispensable role in protecting whole populations against displacement and destruction by big capital. Comrades in India who want to produce a substantive critique of that party face the difficult task of articulating a alternative extra-parliamentary politics among the overwhelming majority of urban and rural workers outside of the CPI (Maoist) area of influence.

Western Maoism on the other hand is simply irrelevant and the sooner people realize this, the sooner we can begin developing a communist politics which relates to 21st century reality. Nor is this exclusive to Maoism. Regurgitation of the sectarian platitudes of anarchism, Trotskyism or Stalinism in whatever variant and in however intellectually sophisticated a form has little to offer in a apocalyptic future which none of these prophets expected. There is no easy alternative answer, simply the necessity of systematic and rigorous theoretical work beginning from the basic materialist premises and united with modest and serious intervention in social reality.

I hope that you have found my daily updates useful over the years and I offer my heartfelt appreciation to everyone among my readership who is investing their energy and risking their lives to maintain the continuity of resistance in a situation which is becoming increasingly dismal both here and in South Asia.

A Naxal was on Thursday gunned down in an exchange of fire with security forces in the dense forest of Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-hit Bastar district, police said. The skirmish took place this morning while a joint team of District Reserve Group (DRG) and Special Task Force (STF) was conducting an anti-Maoist operation in the core jungle of Mardoom police station area, Bastar Superintendent of Police, RN Dash told PTI.
Acting on specific inputs, security personnel had launched the operation last night towards Tunder forest area of Mardoom, located around 350 kms away from the state capital Raipur. While security forces were cordoning off a forest pocket this morning, they were attacked by a squad of ultras belonging to Barsoor Area Committee of Maoist led by Vilash and Singhanna, the SP said.

The gun-battle lasted for about an hour before the ultras fled from the spot, he said. During the search, body of one male Maoist clad in ‘uniform’, two 315 bore rifles, one directional pipe bomb with its container and huge dump of other Naxal-related items were recovered from the spot, he added.

A woman Naxal was on Tuesday gunned down in an exchange of fire with security forces in the dense forest of insurgency-hit Rajnandgaon district, police said. The skirmish took place on a hill under Kohka police station area when a joint team of security forces was carrying out an anti-Maoist operation in the region, Rajandgaon Superintendent of Police, Prashant Agrawal said.

A composite squad of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and district force had launched the operation towards interiors of Kohka, around 200 km from state capital Raipur. While they were cordoning off Nagurtola hill, a group of armed rebels opened indiscriminate fire on them leading to a gun-battle between them, he said.

Soon the rebels escaped into core forests following which the security forces conducted a search during which the body of a woman rebel clad in ‘uniform’ was recovered, he said, adding the identity of the deceased was being ascertained. A 12-bore gun and several other Naxal-related materials, including items of daily use, were also seized from the spot, he added.

Dumka: Godda police found 31 empty cans from a Maoist hideout in Jamunkoda village under Sundar Pahari police station area on Tuesday night. Naxal literature was also found during a search operation led by the sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Abhishek Kumar. Godda SP Sanjiv Kumar said the empty cans were meant for making bombs that could be planted under proposed roads. No arrest has so far been made in this connection. The SP lauded the move of the villagers to report about the items to the police. “On the basis of the information, a team was formed for the search operation,” Kumar said.

Medininagar (Jharkhand), Aug 9 (PTI) Security personnel today recovered an IED planted by Maoists below Kala Pahar- Mahudand road in naxal-affected Palamau district, police said. The Maoists has planted the five kg IEDs under the jurisdiction of Chatarpur police station to target security personnel, Superintendent of Police Mayur Patel said. The recovery was made during an anti-Maoists campaign launched jointly by the CRPF and District Armed Police. The Bomb Disposal squad members defused the explosive. Patel said desperate Maoists wanted to target the security personnel who have launched operations against the banned ultra group. The IED was detected at the spot where seven security personnel had lost their lives in a landmine blast triggered by the rebels a few months ago.

The district police also launched an intensive combing operation at the bordering areas following rumours of Maoist movement.The district police and intelligence agencies on Monday published the photos of 12 persons, including a woman, in a notice stating that they are Maoists. on the notice boards of police stations and check posts bordering Kerala. The persons whose images were published in the list are Velmurugan, Yogeshmathan, Murthy, Palanivel, Karthik alias Kannan alias Gopi, Kalidass, Dasarathan, Sathiya Mary alias Padma, Manivasagam alias Mani and two others.

Contact details

The list also had the contact details of the respective police stations, the office and mobile number of the Deputy Superintendent of Police and the special branch police. This has taken place only days after Kerala Police released the images of 35 Maoists. The district police also launched an intensive combing operation at the bordering areas following rumours of Maoist movement. However, a senior district police officer said that they are on the look out for these accused for more than two years.

Suspected Maoist Mahalingam (63), who was arrested in Tiruchur district in Kerala last month, was produced before Andipatti Magistrate Court on Monday in connection with the case registered for arms training on Varushandu hill near here. Magistrate V. Baskaran adjourned the case till August 22. Later, Mahalingam was taken back to Madurai Central Prison. The police said Mahalingam was arrested on a charge of taking up arms training on Varushanadu hill in 2007. He was released on conditional bail in 2009. But, he did not appear before the court when required. Acting on a tip-off, a special police team arrested him in Tiruchur last month.

In an audio statement released on Monday, the Central Committee [CC] of the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) has “appealed” to the tribal activist and Aam Aadmi Party [AAP] leader in south Chattisgarh, Soni Sori, to refrain from hoisting the national flag in the partially rebel controlled areas of south Chattisgarh. On Tuesday, Ms. Sori started a weeklong march from Dantewada in south Chattisgarh to hoist the national flag at Gompad village in the adjacent Sukma district. But following the Maoist “appeal”, it may not be very safe for her to march to Gompad and raise the tricolour on Independence Day. “The police tortured you [and] the officer, Ankit Garg, [who] is responsible for attacks on you, are protected by the same tricolour and [thus] we would request you to refrain from raising it on August 15,” the Maoist audio statement said.

The statement further claimed that it is not only Ms. Sori but all the political outfits, including mainstream parties like the “Communist Party of India [CPI], or even the Congress”, and a host of civil liberties or women’s groups and journalists, that are routinely under attack by the security forces in south Chattisgarh. “As you know, all these groups, who are mainly tribals, are targeted from all sides by a State, which is continuing with a multi-level oppression against the tribals. Is it reasonable for you to raise the flag of that State?” the statement said.

However, the statement, read by the spokesperson of CC, Vikalp Dandak, also underscored that the party welcomes Ms. Sori’s decision to march through Maoist-controlled areas to Gompad, where a villager was raped and killed recently. “We do not oppose the march as it would highlight the atrocities committed by the security personnel, but just oppose the hoisting of the tricolour,” the statement said.

Visakhapatnam: The Paderu sub-collector is to conduct a magisterial inquiry into the death of three Maoists belonging to the Galikonda area committee, who were killed in an exchange of fire with the security forces in Visakha Agency On May 4, at his office on August 12. Three naxals – V Gopal alias Azad of Karakavanipalem in Pendurthi mandal, Julumuri Chinnayya alias Anand of Addateegala mandal of East Godavari and Kamala of Visakha district — were allegedly killed in an exchange of fire at Marripakalu-Palasamudram area at Puttakota forest in Koyyuru mandal. While security forces had claimed that they killed the Maoists during exchange of fire, there have been allegations that the firing was one sided and the cops allegedly killed the naxals even after they offered to surrender.

Patna/Munger: One Special Task Force (STF) jawan was killed on late Tuesday night in an encounter with Maoists at Kanimoi hill located under Kajra police station area in Lakhisarai district. Lakhisarai SP Ashok Kumar Sinha confirmed the casualty and said when the security forces, comprising the STF, CRPF and district police, were proceeding towards a Maoist hideout in the hilly area on Tuesday night, the Reds started indiscriminate firing. An STF jawan, Ajay Kumar Mandal (32), resident of village Naugachhia in Bhagalpur district, sustained gunshot injury and died before any medical aid could be provided. According to CRPF sources, the combing operation started around 8pm following on input of arms being dumped in the area. The STF jawan was injured around 2.15am. The police also opened retaliatory firing. The slain jawan’s body was sent to Munger Sadar hospital for post-mortem. After giving salute to the martyred jawan at the Munger police line, the body was sent to his native place at Naugachhia.

Raipur, Aug 8: Four Naxals were today arrested and a powerful tiffin bomb was recovered from them in Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-hit Bastar district, police said. Acting on a tip-off, the cadres were nabbed from Sulenga village under Mardoom police station limits by a joint team of security forces, Bastar Superintendent of Police RN Dash told PTI.

A composite squad of District Reserve Group (DRG), Chhattisgarh Armed Force (CAF) and a team of local police were dispatched to Sulenga, located around 400 kms away from here, following inputs about the location of the ultras there, he said. Those held were identified as Gangoram (30), Budhram (32), Mallu (30) and Kaje (30), all jan militia members of the banned CPI (Maoist), Dash added. Besides, a 10 kg tiffin bomb, a detonator, Maoist banners, posters, crackers, electricity wire and other items of daily use were also seized from their possession, the SP said.

Veteran Communist leader and Trade Union activist Com. Himadri Sen Roy is no more with us. He was suffering from cancer from the time when he was in the prison. He was arrested on February 2008 by the special task force of West Bengal police. State claimed that he was the West Bengal state committee secretary of Communist Party of India(Maoist) on that time.
He was released on bail just a few months ago after some long legal fights and mass movements in demand of unconditional release of all the political prisoners.

BHOPAL : The Balagaht police, on Monday, arrested naxal commander of Devri Dalam from village Magejhari-Deori of Gondia district of Maharashtra on Monday. The Dalam commander had ambushed a police party in 1996. IG Balaghat Naxal operations, DC Sagar informed that the Dalam commander Bhagwan Taram alias Manik and others had attacked the joint interstate police party of Balaghat and Gondia in Dhiri-Murum jungle on 3rd March 1996. In the ambush, one policeman of Maharashtra police force had received gunshots and the then SP Mukesh Gupta had a narrow escape.

In the cross-firing four naxal were killed, including three women. A case was registered under section 147,148,149,307 of IPC and 25, 27 of Arms Act in Bahela police station. Since the attack, the accused was absconding. A court had issued a permanent arrest warrant against the accused. On a tip off, four constables of Lanjhi police station arrested him from his native place in Maharashtra.

Four persons were arrested from Kondgaon district today for allegedly working at the behest of naxals and indulging in looting and assaulting a tribal family, police said. “The Naxal sympathisers were nabbed from Mardapal police station area by a joint team of security forces,” Kondagaon superintendent of police, Santosh Singh told PTI…

Maharashtra Police will use modern gadgets to keep tight vigil on terror groups: DGP

Under its new DGP, Maharashtra Police is working on a two-pronged strategy of improving intelligence gathering about terror groups and connecting better with citizens. The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) is also being equipped with modern gadgets and a strategy is being firmed up to effectively counter propaganda from outfits like ISIS, said Satish Mathur, who took over as DGP a week ago. “As a first step, police personnel will visit each and every household in their jurisdiction to connect with people to get real-time intelligence inputs from society about anti-social and terror activities,” he told reporters last night.

Raipur: In a major anti-naxal operation, three Maoists, including a woman, were on Friday gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh’s insurgency- hit Dantewada district, police said. The encounter took place early on Friday in the forests of Kacheghat area under Faraspal police station limits when a team of state’s District Reserve Group (DRG) was out on an anti-naxal operation in the region, Dantewada Superintendent of Police Kamlochan Kashyap said…

A wanted Naxal, carrying a reward of Rs three lakh on his head for his alleged involvement in over 21 criminal cases, was arrested in Bijapur district today, police said. “Padam Mangu, a member of Indravati National Park Area Committee of ultras, was nabbed from his native place Palnar village under Gangaloor police station limits,” Bijapur Superintendent of Police, KL Dhruv told PTI.

Two Maoists were today killed in a gunfight with security forces in the dense forests of Bastar district, police said. “The skirmish took place in the evening in the restive Chandometa village forests, bordering Odisha, under Darbha police station limits of the district when a joint team of security forces was carrying out an anti-naxal operation,” Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) SRP Kalluri told PTI over phone.
Based on specific inputs, composite forces of DRG (District Reserve Group), STF (Special Task Force) and district force had launched the operation on July 27 towards Chandometa forests bordering Odisha’s Tulsi village which is considered as a naxal den, he said…

Nagpur: The exhaustive inputs on the network of frontal organizations of Naxalites collected by Maharashtra’s security agencies, especially the state Anti-Naxal Operation (ANO), has been lauded by Gujarat intelligence personnel, who visited the city a couple of days ago to meet a top official. The Gujarat intelligence wing was compelled to take cognisance of a TOI report in July , exposing the plans of some front organizations and so-called socialist activists to organize a three-day national convention in Ahmedabad. The main theme of the convention, which focused on the Naxal slogan of `jal, jungle and zameen’, was organized to debate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policies and several decisions, including the land acquisition enactment.

Gujarat intelligence personnel were shocked to learn that frontal organizations and some leftist-socialist bodies were me eting under their nose to instigate anti-Modi sentiments. The officials immediately swung into action to intervene. The convention was held under strict surveillance, it is learnt. The coordinators of the convention have now been put under surveillance. After taking action on a warfooting during the convention, the Gujarat officials landed in Nagpur to meet an officer from intelligence network wing to exchange information on the Naxal front organizations and its spreading network of front organizations.

Earlier this year, state ANO had declared the presence of around 55 front organizations and their heightened activities along the Maharashtra-Gujarat border, especially in the tribal and backward stretches, to fuel anti-government sentiments.The state ANO had also earlier brought to light the strategy adopted by front organizations to gain mass base and support in remote hamlets for Naxal activities.

Communication is a problem for the security forces and the way out is communicating through cell phones, as they cannot be intercepted. —File Photo: K.R. Deepak In three out of last five attacks or ambushes on security forces by the Maoists in Andhra Odisha Border (AOB) and Chhattisgarh, the exact position of the security forces was known to the Maoists as their VHF communication was intercepted.

Similarly, on many occasions in recent times, the Maoists gave the slip in the last minute to the security forces during combing operations as the location of the security forces, including that of the elite anti-naxal force Greyhounds, was known by intercepting the hand-held VHF set communication between the scouts of the combing parties.

Every combing team is equipped with at least two hand-held VHF sets. One is given to the opening scout and the other to the rear guard. And they communicate with each other. This communication is being intercepted by the left wing extremists, surrendered and arrested Naxalites disclosed.

Though the sets are scrambled and messages cannot be deciphered, the location can be pinpointed. This is enough for Maoists to move to safety or plan a counter attack, said a senior police officer engaged in anti-naxal operation. This factor has been worrying the police force engaged in flushing out the left wing extremists from the jungles of the eastern ghats. Communication is a problem for the security forces and the way out is communicating through cell phones. Cell phones cannot be intercepted and the location can be specified only by the service provider.

But the issue is that there is no cell connectivity in most parts of the Agency area. A commando who has a cell phone and engaged in combing operation in the interior parts has to trek over 10 to 15 km at times to reach the nearest mandal headquarters or police station for communication, said Visakhapatnam Range DIG Ch. Srikanth. The Agency area of Visakhapatnam district has 11 mandals and the left wing extremists have presence in nine mandals. The BSNL is the only service provider in the Agency area of Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and East Godavari. In Visakhapatnam Agency, BSNL has only 29 cell towers covering the entire area, with each tower serving a radius of about 7 km.

MHA orders

The Government of India has sanctioned 53 BSNL mobile towers in the Maoist-hit areas of four districts such as Vizianagaram (26), Vizag (12), EG (10), WG (5). Work has commenced at 51 sites and some 30 towers have gone on air. But only one out of the 12 sanctioned has gone on air in Visakhapatnam Agency, police sources pointed out.

Logistic issue

Some of the towers have been erected but not charged up as the BSNL has to obtain permission from the Ministry of Civil Aviation. The permission has been accorded, but the telecom major is facing the problem of connectivity, BSNL District General Manager Nalini Verma told The Hindu . All BSNL towers or for that matter any other tower is connected through optic fibre. The hilly terrain does not permit the laying of optic fibre and we are now going ahead with V-Sat connectivity and a vendor has been identified, she said. The Agency area has about 3,637 tribal habitats and about 1,136 habitats are not connected by road.

There is a huge logistic problem for the BSNL, due to lack of road connectivity, and they have to rely on the land given by the state government.
Moreover, the land given should be in a secure place such as a police station or some government office close to a police station as the Maoists have blasted some cell towers erected by the BSNL at other places. The recent one was in 2010 when members of the Korukonda Dalam of CPI (Maoists) blasted a cell tower of BSNL at Lammasingi under Chintapalli limits.

Police today recovered a 12-kg landmine near a village in Naxal-infected Sukma district in Chhattisgarh today. Sukma district police officials told PTI over telephone that a joint team of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and District Force (DF) today recovered the landmines planted by Naxals near Sunnamguda village. According to officials, the joint team of security personnel had been sent to Sunnamguda and Banda villages for area domination exercise, when they received information about the landmines…

Raipur: A station house officer and four other policemen came under attack by Naxalites tonight while passing through a dense forest in Sukma district of Chhattisgarh, police said. SHO of Konta police station Eman Sahu and four police jawans were heading for Konta from Sukma when their SUV came under fire near Manikonta village, a senior police officer told PTI. They, however, quickly took positions and retaliated, forcing the rebels to flee…

Jamshedpur, Aug 6 (PTI) Security personnel today recovered three powerful can-bombs from Gurgaikocha village in Dalbhumgarh area of naxal-hit Ghatsila sub-division, police said. The recovery was made during a search operation by the security personnel comprising of District Armed Police and CRPF as well as the Cobra battalion personnel from West Bengal, they said. Sub-Divisional Police Officer (Ghatssila), Sanjeev Kumar Besra said each can-bombs, which weighed between 20 to 30 kgs, were recovered from a place bordering Jharkhand-West Bengal. All the explosives have been defused by the Bomb Disposal Squad, he added.

Nagpur: Gadchiroli Naxalites, rendered weak due to depleting strength after loss of senior cadres in encounters and spate of surrenders, have reportedly got reinforcement from their upper echelons in the form of around 150 additional manpower. Sources from a remote part of Naxal-affected Gadchiroli claimed that armed Naxalites, mostly from Chhattisgarh, were sent from the rebels’ stronghold of Abhujamadh after intensive training for taking on the security forces. The Naxalites in Gadchiroli seem to be struggling to emerge from the dominance of security forces which have sizeable presence in the district. The Reds also have suffered loss of senior cadres being either gunned down in encounters or from those quitting the movement to adopt government’s lucrative surrender policy…

VISAKHAPATNAM: After few days of intense deployment and combing operations, security personnel in the Visakha agency area heaved a sigh of relief as the Martyrs Week observed by Maoists passed off incident free on Wednesday. However, in East Godavari, the Naxalites did manage to kill a priest in a church after branding him as police informer during that week. The cops had expected a retaliation to the encounter at Marripakalu-Palasamaudram area near Puttakota in Koyyuru mandal on May 4 this year in which three senior cadres including Galikonda area committee secretary Azad were killed. Consequently, there was a huge deployment of AP’s Greyhounds and CRPF who undertook combing operations all over the rural areas of Visakha district.

But while no violence was reported in the agency area, the cops could not prevent the Maoists from holding meetings. In fact, in a rude shokc to cops, Maoist central committee leader Akkiraju Haragopal alias RK alias Saketh, whose whereabouts have been unknown to the police for the past few months, resurfaced at Sanyasiguda cut-off area in Malkangiri district to participate in the activities along with Malkangiri-Koraput border division secretary Gajarla Ravi alais Uday during the Martyrs Week. “This year, Maoists did not indulge in any violent or destructive activity during the Martyr’s Week. They were aware of the combing parties and kept low,” a senior cop in the Visakha agency said…

Gaya: The handwritten posters that appeared overnight in the Imamganj area of Gaya district reminding former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi of his extremely humble origins and class interests, have not come as a surprise for Maoist watchers. It is an old technique used by the Maoists to cause confusion and influence the more credulous among the targets of its well- oiled propaganda machinery. ‘Lal Chingari’ and ‘Jan Jwar’, banned magazines published by the red rebels, tried this technique on village-level chowkidars and constabulary in the 1990s.

Besides the banned magazines, the other publicity material issued by the Maoists from time to time reminded the police constabulary that they (lower level cops) were on the wrong side of the class divide as their class interests tallied with the extremists and not with the so-called feudal elements whose “exploitations” were being perpetuated in the name of the state. The Maoist literature also offered clemency to those cops who surrendered their weapons without a fight.

No formal study has been conducted to ascertain the impact of these class appeals on the constabulary. The arrest of a CRPF assistant commandant in Gaya district in 2013 on the charge of complicity with the Maoists revived interest in the Maoist strategy to win over/neutralise members of the police force. “The Maoists succeeded in virtually destroying the otherwise well- entrenched chowkidari system so crucial for ground level information gathering,” said retired IPS Masoom Aziz Kazmi. Kazmi, a former SP of the Naxalite-affected Aurangabad district. “Either on account of the class bait offered by them or due to fear or both, most of the chowkidars either double cross or side with the red rebels,” Kazmi added…

Maoist Kannan alias Eswaran, who is lodged in the Coimbatore Central Prison underwent blood transfusion and was admitted in the convict ward of the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital on Saturday afternoon as he suffered from illness. Kannan was arrested with Maoist leader Roopesh, his wife Shyna and two others from an eatery at Karumathampatty in rural Coimbatore on May 3, 2015. But for travelling to other places for the cases against him, he has been lodged at the prison. Prison officers claimed that he was anaemic and also suffered from some other ailment. “He was monitored by the prison doctor everyday and was referred to the CMCH as advised by the prison doctor on Saturday,” a prison officer said.

A senior doctor in the CMCH said that he underwent blood transfusion as he was very tired. “He will first be treated for anaemia and after he gets back to normal he will be treated for the other ailment,” he said. Kannan was out of danger, he added.

RANCHI: The police officials of Ranchi, Khunti, Simdega, Gumla and West Singhbhum are set to conduct joint anti-Maoist operations in the districts.
The decision was taken during a review meeting convened by Ranchi DIG R K Dhan here o Saturday. The SPs of Khunti, Simdega and Ranchi were present in the meeting. “We will continue with combing operations in the identified areas to weaken the rebels. The SPs have been asked to work in tandem to ensure the same,” said Dhan.

Tamil Nadu special task force (STF) and police are keeping strict vigil on the state border along Kerala, to prevent infiltration of seven suspected Maoists. Based on information about movement of strangers along the border at Attapady in Kerala on Friday, police from both the states are carrying out combing operations to flush them out, police said. The tribals in the area claimed that they noticed seven persons, including two women, entering Attapady, a few kilometres from Tamil Nadu.

Stepping up their wall-poster campaign against the third phase of Operation Green Hunt in Dandakaranya region, the Maoists have put up wall posters, written in Hindi, at R Kothagudem village in Charla mandal in the tribal heartland of Bhadrachalam division, bordering Chhattisgarh on Saturday.
Sources said that a few wall posters, written in red ink, have surfaced at R Kothagudem in the name of CPI (Maoist) Kistaram Area Committee of Chhattisgarh coinciding with the ‘Dandakaranya bandh’ observed by the outlawed outfit on Saturday in protest against alleged atrocities on Adivasis by the security forces in Dandakaranya region.

The rebels, through the wall posters, demanded that the Operation Green Hunt should be stopped forthwith and the security personnel responsible for the alleged atrocities on Adivasi women in south Bastar region of Chhattisgarh should be punished.

Adilabad district police on Monday arrested Maoist Tekam Ravi alias Ravinder (22), a member of Indervelli dalam, who is an accused in the murder of Gond youth Kursenga Ballarsha last year in Tiryani mandal. The naxalite was heading towards Tiryani mandal headquarters and was waiting for transport at IB Tandur when the police arrested him and seized two banners from his possession.

Presenting him before the media at a press conference, Adilabad Superintendent of Police Vikram Jeet Duggal said he had joined the underground outfit about two years ago and was deputed to Indervelli dalam with instructions to kill informers, police and politicians. He used to work under Athram Shoban alias Charles, who is the Adilabad Area Committee secretary of Maoists and a native of Tiryani mandal.

Titlagarh: Maoist posters demanding suspension of ministers with chit fund scam links were found in Boudh and Bolangir districts on Saturday morning. Names of Law minister Arun Sahoo, Housing and Urban Development minister Pushpendra Singhdeo and Food Supply and Consumer Welfare minister Sanjay Dasburma are mentioned in the poster, which was seen nailed to a tree trunk in Titlagah. The Maoists have demanded suspension of these ministers within 10 days through this threatening poster addressed to CM Naveen Patnaik.

RANCHI: To tackle Maoist menace Jharkhand is all set to establish three elite India Reserve Battalions (IRB) in the state. The cabinet committee on security headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently gave its approval for setting up three special anti-Maoist battalions so that infrastructure does not come in the way of Jharkhand’s fight against Maoists. Jharkhand reports second highest Maoist activities in the country after its neighbour Chhattisgarh.

The outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) has called for a ‘Bastar bandh’ on Saturday to protest alleged atrocities committed by security forces on tribal women and girls in the restive Bastar region of Chhattisgarh. The bandh call has been given by the south sub-zonal bureau of the CPI (Maoist). “The fascist BJP government, led by Raman Singh, is committing inhuman atrocities on Bastar tribals in the name of anti-Maoist operations in Bastar. Every single day, the police and security forces are attacking villages in Bastar in the name of search operations, and plundering villagers’ houses, beating up common civilians, and sexually abusing tribal women and young girls. The BJP government and the RSS are running a fascist police regime in Bastar,” said the banned outfit in a press release sent to The Hindu .

Ranchi, Aug 8 : Jharkhand police seized four landmines and four weapons from a hideout of Maoist guerrillas in Dhanbad district of Jharkhand on Monday. According to police, four landmines, two pistols, two rifles and live cartridges were seized during search operation at Madaidih jungle situated under Topchachi police station of Dhanbad district, around 200 km from Ranchi.

Gaya: The CPI (Maoist) has exhorted former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi to acknowledge his class/caste interest and review ties with organizations like BJP, RSS and VHP. Accusing the saffron brigade of perpetuating atrocities on dalits and minorities across the country, the Maoists alleged that instead of being true to his own oppressed identity, the Hindustani Awam Morcha-Secular (HAM-S) leader has developed a typically feudal mentality akin to those of the oppressors. Handwritten wall posters in this regard were found pasted in the Imamganj area on Wednesday morning.

The Maoists have sought an answer from Manjhi for the perceived betrayal of the dalit cause. It advises him not to be misled by people like former MLC Anuj Singh and acknowledge his own class interest and work for the furtherance of this very class interest. It also accused the RSS family of executing an anti-dalit agenda everywhere in the country and for that reason Manjhi’s association with the group meant an onslaught on his own very humble origins. Manjhi represents Imamganj reserved seat in the state assembly. He hails from the extremely downtrodden Musahar caste.

Maoists, in the past, have used such posters as the most important communicative tool. The handwritten posters named a few Manjhi supporters, including Singh, as the men who were misleading him. Though, it did not make any direct threat, going by the modus operandi of Maoists, the posters meant a veiled threat to the former CM to snap ties with the BJP. It was in the Imamganj area that former Gaya MP Rajesh Kumar was killed allegedly by the Maoists. Only recently, Maoist supporters attacked the former CM’s convoy in Imamganj and torched his pilot jeep. Manjhi was escorted to the nearby CRPF camp to ensure his safety.

Aurangabad: Police on Saturday arrested six suspected Maoists, who were allegedly involved in an attack on solar power project at Baksh Bigha village under Kasama police station 17 days back. A police team led by SP Babu Ram raided the suspected hideouts of Maoists with the help of STF and CRPF personnel and arrested six rebels, two of whom were also wanted in connection with an attack on MVL camp office under Goh police station in which two policemen were killed and 30 highly sophisticated police weapons were looted.

“The arrested Maoists have been identified as Veera Das, Awadhesh Thakur, Akhilesh Yadav, Ramashray Yadav, Mathura Yadav and Bhuneshwar Bhuiya,” the SP said. The Maoists had attacked the solar power project of a Mumbai-based company. After the completion of Rs 500 crore project, the district is expected to get 12 MW of power. However, the Maoist attack has badly affected the project.

Berhampur: A powerful improvised explosive device (IED), suspected to be planted by the Maoists, was recovered from Telengapada forest, near Paiganda in Gajapati district on Sunday. “The IED, packed in a lunch box, and weighing around 40 kg was found during the area domination operation carried out by the district voluntary force. The bomb disposal squad from Paralakhemundi rushed to the spot and defused the IED,” said SP (Gajapati) Sushil Panigrahi. Police said the landmine might have been planted by the Maoists earlier when they were active along the Gajapati-Kandhamal border.

The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadres killed a civilian, identified as Sundar Hantal (25), at Godaput under Chitrakonda Police Station limits in Malkangiri District on August 6, reports orissapost.com. Sources said the Maoists killed him by slashing his throat, suspecting him to be a ‘Police informer’. According to reports, a group of 15-20 Maoists had abducted Sundar from his village about three days ago (August 3). His family members and villagers had been searching for him without success. The Maoists held a Praja (People’s) Court at Simidipadar village where they branded him as a Police informer and slashed his throat. The Maoists also threatened the villagers of facing such fate if they act as Police informers.

Karkala, Jul 31: Naxals, who were lying low since being active for a brief period long time back, have announced their resurgence in the taluk by hanging banners in the name of CPI (Maoist).

Four banners were found to have been hung to the poles supporting the bus shelter located near Poonjaje school in Mala village located at the foot of Western Ghats. The locals noticed these banners on Saturday July 30 morning.

One among these four banners has made mention about Martyrs’ Day. Naxals observe Matyrs’ week from July 28 to August 3 every year. It has become common for them to prove their presence during this period every year. Knowing this, Anti Naxal Force (ANF) remains active during this period.

Since the last some years, barring isolated incidents, naxals had not undertaken any major initiatives. Therefore, it was widely believed that their numbers have steeply dwindled. The banners prominently give the message that forest and environment are anytime bigger than any government and that the people should come together to defeat proposed Tiger Project, implementation of Kasturirangan report and other proposed projects in Kudremukh National Park and other forest areas. The banners also speak about observing Martyrs’ Day.

Reports said that a six-member gang comprising four men and two women, has been visiting houses in Mala and Nooralbettu areas seeking support for their organization since the last some days. Locals believe that some of the members were from outside the state, going by the fact that they were speaking some other language too. But none of the locals have come out with complete details of their encounter with naxals. Some say the people suspected them to be naxals only after seeing the banners. However, the gang is not to be seen since a couple of days, it is learnt.

Both the police and ANF have not been giving any information about finding these banners and the resultant follow up action. After those who saw the banner conveyed this information to them, officials of the department rushed to the spot. A case was registered in the rural police station here. It is said that a combing operation has been launched in the forests to find out whether naxals are camping in the area.

A tribal youth was killed allegedly by Naxalites on the suspicion of being a police informer, police said today. 23-year-old Rakesh Karu Gawde, a resident of village Gurja in Aheri tehsil of the district, was shot dead by Naxals late last night, Gadchiroli police said in a release.

Rakesh was a second-year graduation student and was helping people by giving information about government schemes, it said. As per the release, Naxals belonging to ‘Perimili Dalam’ dashed to his village and dragged him to village Tumarkasa where he was shot dead. Following the incident, anti-Naxal operations have been intensified in the area, police said, adding investigations are underway.

Based on a tip provided by a surrendered naxal, security forces on Sunday recovered a powerful 40-kg improvised explosive device (IED), planted by Maoists eight years back in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar district on National Highway 63, police said. The input was provided by a surrendered naxal, the explosive that was packed in a big steel container, was unearthed from Bastanar valley under Kodenar police station limits of the district, Bastar Superintendent of Police R N Dash said.

An man was allegedly killed using sharp weapons by Maoists in the insurgency-hit Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh during their ongoing Martyrs’ week, police said today. “The victim’s body was found lying in a pool of blood this morning on Bijapur-Gangaloor Road under Bijapur police station limits,” Bijapur Superintendent of Police KL Dhruv told PTI.

Soon after getting the information, a police team rushed to the spot, located around 450 kms away from here and recovered the body, he added.
A note left beside the body by Maoists claimed that the man was Naveen Das Baghel, a native of Nagarnar area of Bastar district, who was working for Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in the region, the SP said. According to the note, the victim had joined the Bastar police in 2001, while he was later associated with CRPF in 2003. It further claimed that the victim was picked up by ultras on July 28 and murdered on July 30 after interrogation.

“However, during police investigation, nobody named Naveen Das Baghel was found to be residing in Nagarnar area,” the SP said adding that further probe to ascertain the identity of the deceased, was on. Meanwhile, a CRPF official denied having any links with the victim. In a separate incident, a Maoist identified as Padam Kamesh alias Sudhakar was arrested from Basaguda police station area of Bijapur district.

The cadre was apprehended from Chikapalli village forests while a joint team of CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action)- an elite unit of CRPF and local police was carrying out an anti-Naxal operation in the region, the SP said. Security has been beefed up across the Naxal-affected Bastar division, which comprises seven districts– Dantewada, Bijapur, Bastar, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, Sukma and Kanker as the Maoists are observing ‘Martyrs’ Week’ till August 3, during which they try to create disturbance.

Chintoor (East Godavari): Maoists killed a pastor and abducted another person in the mandal on late Friday night only to release the latter on Saturday morning. Both the murder and the abduction were carried out on the charge that they were police informers. The naxals also warned the people that all police informers would meet a similar fate as that of the pastor. The victim was identified as Uike Marayya of Lachigudem in the mandal, while the abducted person who was later released was named Kaniti Raju of Vankagudem in the mandal.

According to police sources, late on Friday night, more than 100 naxals and militia members entered Lachigudem village and dragged pastor Marayya out of his house and took him to the forests. There they beat him severely with sticks before slitting his throat. The Maoists also left a letter near the body with the warning. They also accused the Chintoor and Nellipak police of harassing innocent people by branding them as naxal sympathisers. Marayya was a native of Sukuma district of Chhattisgarh and had settled here almost 15 years ago.

Chintoor circle inspector V Durga Rao told TOI that after leaving Lachigudem, the Maoists entered the nearby village of Vankagudem and abducted Raju. The naxals, however, released him on Saturday morning after severely beating him up. The inspector said, “Chintoor mandal shares its borders with Chhattisgarh. Maoists commit offences here and crosses the border within hours.”

Meanwhile, pamphlets and posters by Maoists, who have been observing Martyrs Week from July 28, surfaced at various places like Pega, and Mallampeta urging the people to ensure that the celebrations are a success. A plastic bag with heavy metals was also found on the Pega-Mallampeta road which the villagers thought were land mines placed by naxals targeting the security forces. On their part, a large number of security forces have been carrying out combing operations in the Visakha Agency. They have been conducting vehicle checks at every junction, but incessant rains acted as a deterrent.

Raipur: In a success in anti-Naxalite operation, Bastar police in Chhattisgarh have seized explosives and electronic detonators and arrested two persons, who were suspected to be part of the urban network of outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist).
Talking to reporters at Jagdalpur, IG (Bastar range) SRP Kalluri and Bastar SP Rajendra Narayan Das said following a tip off from an informer, police arrested two people from near Dhanpunji railway crossing and seized explosives from their possession.
State home secretary BVR Subramaniam, special DG (anti-Naxal operations) Durgesh Madhav Awasthy were also present during the media briefing. Kalluri said both the accused -identified as Niranjan Das and Durjati Mannahgkando -hailing from Jaypore in Odisha-were waiting for someone at the railway crossing close to the inter-state border with Odisha when the Nagarnbar police took them into custody. During interrogation, police came to know that they used to regularly supply explosives to a Maoist commander Vinod for the last two years.
He said the accused brought the consignment on demand of this Maoist commander and hid it in the nearby forests and they were waiting for someone at the railway crossing when the arrest took place.

Valayam Police produced him before the court after collecting evidence in two cases registered against him under the UAPA. The Kozhikode Principal Sessions Court on Saturday remanded Maoist leader Roopesh Kumar in judicial custody till August 26.

Judge T.S.P. Moosad issued the order when the Valayam police produced him before the court after collecting evidence in two cases registered against him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). On Wednesday, the court had remanded him in police custody to collect evidence in the cases.

The case was that Roopesh was involved in anti-national and terrorist activities at Panniyeri region of Vilangad near Nadaparam in the district, and distributed pamphlets at the tribal colony bordering Wayanad and Kannur districts in 2013. The police led by Assistant Superintendent of Police R. Karuppuswamy took Roopesh to the colony to collect evidence.

The Chhattisgarh government is adding new armour in its battle against the outlawed CPI (Maoist). The state has started a large recruitment drive to enlist local youth as police constables specifically for the seven restive districts of the Bastar red zone.

Maoists’ latest threat to tribals: stop cultivating or leave the village

Maoists have allegedly started disrupting agrarian activities of poor tribals, who do not support their violent activity, in Malkangiri district of Odisha. According to sources, the Naxalites started adopting this new strategy in Mathili block of Malkangiri district ahead of their martyrs’ week observation from July 28 to August 3. They have till now targeted tribals at remote villages and hamlets in three panchayats of Mathili block, namely Salimi, Temurupalli and Kartanpalli.

Hundreds of tribal Maoist supporters and militias have surrendered before the police from these areas. Mathili block, bordering Chhattisgarh, is a strategic location for Naxalites and most of their leaders active in this region are from outside Odisha and depend on local support, which has started to dwindle.

Armed Maoists are now moving around remote villages of these three panchayats. They are threatening tribals to stop the cultivation process and leave the village or face dire consequences.

He said this speaks of the frustration of ultras as more and more tribals have started to realise the futility of violent movement of Maoists. It is an irony that the ultras are now destroying livelihood scope of tribals although they claim their fight is for economic development of the downtrodden.

To strengthen their threats, the Naxalites are abducting some tribals from their farms and releasing them after threatening them. Two tribals from Jandaraguda village under Mathili block, Suka Kabasi and Nilaram Madhi, were abducted by Maoists on July 17 and later released. Both had earlier received threats from the Naxalites to stop their agricultural activity and leave the village.

Some other former Maoist supporters of the village also were threatened. According to sources, on July 19, Sama Madhi was taken away by the Maoists from Kukurkund village of Temurupalli panchayat and later released.

Maoists have reportedly constituted Odisha-Srikakulam committee to intensify their activities The police in Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts have been on high alert for the last few days with the Maoists observing Martyr’s Week from July 28. The two districts are considered “highly sensitive” as they share the border for almost 300 km with Odisha where the Maoists have a significant presence. According to sources, the Maoists have constituted the Odisha-Srikakulam committee to intensify their activities.

Additional forces

This has prompted the Srikakulam police to deploy additional APSP and CRPF forces in places such as Dhonubhai, Kotturu, Battili, Meliyaputti, Mandasa, Kasibugga, and Vajrapukotturu that are close to the Odisha forest area. Similarly, additional forces have been deployed in places such as Jiyyammavalasa, Neelakanthapuram, Chintapalli, and Komarada in Vizianagaram district. To check possible intrusion of naxalites into Andhra Pradesh, the police, with the support of CRPF and other special wings, have intensified combing in the areas such as Komarada, Gumma Lakshmipuram, Meliyaputti, and Battili.

Vizianagaram SP L.K.V. Ranga Rao and Srikakulam SP J. Brahma Reddy are reportedly reviewing the situation on a daily basis and touring the sensitive areas along the border. Though there is no significant Maoist activity, the police do not want to take any chances, particularly in view of the Maoist dumps unearthed in the recent past. A dump was unearthed at Bharanikota of Meliyaputti mandal a couple of years ago. A woman Maoist, Pawala Lakshmi, of Vizianagaram district surrendered before the Odisha police in May 2016. The police also suspect that the Maoists are trying to recruit tribal people. The police have identified the Tuvva hill range as most vulnerable on the A.P.-Odisha border.

After the dissolution of Worker’s Power, which took place during the Rosolina Congress (RO) in May-June 1973, militants of this structure formed the Communist Committees. Between the autumn of 1973 and the end of 1976, the most significant of them is in the Centocelle Communist Committee (CoCoCe) in Rome.

In 1975, within the CoCoCe, a organization operating within legality, some militants, in association with their comrades of the Communist Committees, implement the decision to create a new clandestine national organization: the Armed Communist Formations (FCA). Initially the new formation operates under various signatures: Armed Struggle for Communism, Armed Struggle for Worker’s power, Armed Struggle for Proletarian Power, Proletarian Territorial Units.

Starting in November of 1975 various actions are claimed with the FCA acronym:

– Attack on the center of the SIP [a telecommunications company], the Eur (Rome 04/11/75);
– Attack on the Texaco Oil Company (Florence, 04/14/76);
– Wounding of John Theodoli, president of the Italian Petroleum Union and Chevron Oil
Italy (Rome, 04/21/76);
-Attack on the film library of the RAI [public broadcasting company] in Teulada (Rome, 29/05/76).

With the formation of the Rome column of the Red Brigades, in the second half of 1975, FCA opens up a debate on the relationship between the two organizations. Between the end of 1975 and the spring of 1976, some militants of the FCA in Turin and Rome leave their organization and merge into the Red Brigades.

The history of the FCA concludes in the second half of 1976. Following the dissolution, some militants, in Rome form the Revolutionary Communist Committee, others converge in the Red Brigades and others are involved in the founding of the Combatant Communist Units. In Rome, on least one occasion, the FCA, claimed their actions with the acronym FAC. This is revealed in the course of the first “Moro trial”.

Revolutionary Democratic Front calls upon the people and genuine democrats to boycott the (world) Social Forum, being held in Canada in August 2016 and all the related forums and preparatory meetings etc. being conducted in different parts of the country including Hyderabad.

World Social Forum or Asia Social Forum is nothing but a safety valve to protect the crisis-ridden Imperialist camp.

The ideologues of TINA (There Is No Alternative) and ?end of history? floated this social forum idea to hoodwink people who are surging towards revolutionary democratic struggles world over led by revolutionary forces. It?s an NGO programme propped up by the imperialist forces. In this context we remind to the people and genuine democratic forces that similar attempts by Asia Social Forum in Hyderabad, World Social Forum in Mumbai, and a four-day international seminar in Hyderabad were boycotted and exposed by the revolutionary and genuine democratic forces earlier in India. MR-2004 (Mumbai Resistance Forum – 2004) was held in Mumbai exactly facing the World Social Forum premises to expose it second fiddling to imperialist machinations. More than 300 organisations consisting of Adivasis, Dalits, Muslims, Women, Peasantry, Working class, Students, Youth, Writers, Artists and Intellectuals in co-ordination with anti-feudal, anti-imperialist, anti-Hindutva and revolutionary organisations participated and made it a grand success.

Revolutionary Democratic Front was formed in 2007 at all India level to propagate democracy which revolutionary movement alone can achieve through and united effort of revolutionary and genuine democratic forces.

Self reliance, diversity and democracy are the hall marks of self rule, we see today under Janathana Sarkar in Dandakarnya.

Imperialist globlaisation, liberalisation and privatisation have reached a stage of fascism within 25 years. The so-called best democracies in the world UK, France and USA are stinking with communal and racist practices, particularly against Muslims, Blacks and non Whites.

Taking advantage of this crisis in imperialist camp, Islamic State is spreading like a false hope for Muslim youth – with a programme of ?Capitalism failed and Communism failed hence Islam is the only hope?.

It is not because that there is no alternative but because there are organised armed revolutionary struggles world over, these imperialists and counter revolutionary attempts are being made. National Liberation Struggles such as Palestine and Kashmir, Revolutionary Struggles and advances such as in Central and Eastern India, the Philippines and Turkey and various democratic struggles for protecting natural wealth and labour are surging all over the world as imperialist globalisation at global level and in India are entering into a fascist stage.

The development theory twined with genocide politics in Gujarat in 2002 has reached its ugly shape at central level in 2014 with the combination of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah and imperialist-RSS-BJP combine. The programmes like Make in India, Digitalisation, Acche Din Ayega with the Hindutva programmes of Ghar Wapsi, Common Civil Code and Ban on Beef have introduced Feudal brahmanical Hindutva agenda along with imperialist globalisation band wagon.

The third phase of Operation Greenhunt with an audacity to finish the Maoist movement in Dandakarnya by the end of 2016 with a programme of Mission 2016 has turned into a Genocide of Adivasis in Central and Eastern India. Resistance to this by democratic forces aspirations is to Save Bastar and uphold self reliant and sovereign rule of people under Janathana Sarkar.

The aspirations for Azadi in Kashmir and Manipur and different parts of North East are being ruthlessly crushed under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act. In recent days more than 50 youth of Kashmir were ruthlessly killed by the Armed Forces just because they have come out in hundreds and thousands protesting against the fake encounter of Burhan Wani.

Dalits all over the country particularly in Gujarat and UP are being attacked and killed with a pretext that they are eating beef or doing leather work with dead cattle. Various democratic struggles in different parts of the country including Telangana and Andhra Pradesh against displacement of the oppressed castes and classes and the land grabbing in the name of development are subjected to severe repression. Privatisation of defence, railways and such important sectors and entry of foreign universities and the closure of public sector is not only causing a huge number of youth being unemployed, but has become a threat to the sovereignty of people itself.

Hence the RDF calls upon the people and genuine democrats to wage a relentless struggle against this imperialist and Hindutva forces, steadfastly stand in solidarity with revolutionary and democratic struggles, boycotting the social forum which is nothing but a ?Human Face? of imperialist globalisation.

IZMIR – United Liberation Forces (B?G) member Eylem Ata? (nom de guerre Cemre Heval) died when fighting against ISIS within scope of operation to liberate Manbij. Eylem’s family and friends have tried to take her body; however, her body has been held at the border with several excuses. “We should do our best to take her body just like she did to take back Aziz’s body.” said the United Revolutionary Party Izmir President Hazal El?in Yanar.

United Liberation Forces (B?G) member Eylem Ata? (nom de guerre Cemre Heval) died on June 27, 2016 when fighting against ISIS within scope of operation to liberate Manbij. Eylem’s family and friends have tried to take her body; however, her body has been held at the border with several excuses. Her body hasn’t been given to her family. A signature campaign has been launched on change.org to take Eylem’s body. United Revolutionary Party Izmir President Hazal El?in Yanar told us that they wanted to issue a press statement in ?zmir on the day Cemre died; however, police attacked them. She said, “We organized press statements and protests in many cities simultaneously after Eylem Ata? fell a martyr. We wanted to issue a press statement in K?br?s ?ehitleri Avenue in ?zmir; however, police attacked us and detained 19 people. We told them that commemorating Eylem Ata? isn’t a crime but they told us that carrying Eylem’s photos is inconvenient with an arbitrary treatment. After passing all night in the Police Department TEM Branch, nine of our friends were supervised released.”

Hazal talked about Eylem, “She took her part in DEV-L?S (the Revolutionary High School Students Group) when she was a student at high school. She was always at the front of the barricades and took the flag first. She decided to move the struggle across borders. She fell a martyr while fighting against barbaric ISIS and her body has been held at the border since June 28. Her family and Revolutionary Party applied to take back her body; however, our applications have been refused as verbally. They said that the first petition was “lost”. The second petition was refused due to “inappropriate content”. They tell us, “Don’t need to talk”. But the family is insistent to take their daughter’s body. The insistence of the family is our insistence. Eylem is our comrade. We’ll take her body. Her family launched a signature campaign on change.org to take their daughter body. We call on everybody to sign the campaign. We’ll bury Eylem Ata? on her own lands.”

Hazal also said that: “Being buried on their lands is a human right. This state didn’t give Aziz Güler’s body for 59 days and now it does the same. This is actually a torture method. Eylem joined all protest organized to take Aziz’s body. We should do our best to take her body just like she did to take Aziz’s body. Give us Eylem’s body.”

As its annual Martyr’s Week entered the second day on Friday, the CPI (Maoist) is reportedly making preparations to unveil martyr’s memorials in the interior areas of Visakha Agency. A few memorials (stupams) are reportedly erected in the border areas from G. Madugula to Padebayalu mandals. Meanwhile, Pedabayalu area committee secretary Kiran has reportedly asked the surrendered Maoists, militia members, and supporters to return to the party fold.

A CoBRA jawan was killed and another injured in a fierce gun-battle with Naxals in a dense forest pocket of Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-hit Sukma district on Saturday, police said. The skirmish took place in the core forests of Bhejji police station area when a squad of CoBRA’s 208th battalion – an elite unit of CRPF – was out on an anti-Naxals operation in the region, around 500 kms away from here, a senior police official told PTI.
Security forces had undertaken the operation based on specific inputs about the movement of dreaded Maoist commander Hidma with his group in the region, he said. When the CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) jawans were patrolling the forest between Ettrajpad and Gachonpally villages, a group of Naxals opened indiscriminate fire on them leading to a heavy gun-battle, he said. As per preliminary information, a constable-rank jawan was killed and another injured, the official said, adding reinforcement was immediately rushed to the spot. Efforts are on to take the deceased and injured personnel out of the forests, he added.

Garhwa: Area commander of the CPI (Maoist) was arrested with arms from Ranka police station area on Thursday night, police said on Friday. Lalan Singh Kharwar alias Shrawan was arrested from Karri forest of the district. Police have also found a 315 pistol, 4 live cartridges and Naxalite literature, said Ranka police station officer in-charge Narendra Kumar Sinha.tnn Sinha added that Kharwar had been released from Garhwa sub-jail on bail a few days ago. After being released from the jail, he again started working for the Maoist outfit. In absence of the Maoist area commander Bhanu Singh, Kharwar was given charge of area commander with the responsibility of extension of the organization.

Meanwhile police were tipped-off that Kharwar along with half-a-dozen men in Karri forest was plotting to execute any incident. Acting on the tip-off, deputy commandant of CRPF 172 battalion M H Siddiqui and jawans of district police and JAP cordoned off the area. All men managed to escape taking the advantage of dense forest. But Kharwar was nabbed after a chase, said the OC Narendra Kumar Sinha. Dozens of Naxalite related cases have been registered against Kharwar in Ranka and Chinia police stations of the district, added the OC.

Khaprakhol: A joint team of Special Operations Group (SOG) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans during a search operation inside Gandhamardan forest in this block in Bolangir district busted a Maoist camp and seized a huge cache of arms and explosives in the wee hours of Friday. Bolangir SP Asish Singh and CRPF deputy commandant PK Mishra held a press conference in this regard. With a ‘Martyrs’ Week’ being observed by the Maoists throughout the district, police continued the combing operation and seized the ammunition, Singh said.

According to sources, the Maoists had made a camp in the forest to observe the martyrs’ week. Acting on a tip-off, SOG and CRPF jawans in a joint operation began the combing operation in the forest. Although the camp was tracked, it was found to be deserted as the ultras managed to escape.
Two guns, four grenades, two detonators, two landmines, granite pouches, batteries, explosives and other equipment were recovered from the spot. The combing operation continued in the area to track down the ultras, Singh added. While no major Maoist atrocities have been witnessed in Khaprakhol area in the last three years, the Maoists make their presence felt by periodically putting up posters and banners in the block.

KOLKATA: The Centre is working towards withdrawing the ‘Left-Wing-Extremism-affected’ tag from four Bengal districts -Purulia, Bankura, West Midnapore and Birbhum -following ‘zero deaths’ and minimum incidents of Maoist violence in the past five years.

The ministry of home affairs has communicated its intent to the home department seeking response, but the state government is vehemently opposed to the idea and is writing back urging a rethink. The four districts were brought under the LWE category in 2010. The immediate effect of the removal of the tag would be withdrawal of 22 companies (22,000 personnel) of central forces deployed in the four districts. Besides, it would mean drying up of central financial assistance worth Rs 40 crore per district per year. Much of this amount is currently being utilized on development projects in these poor districts.

The Centre, however, is going by a recent report of the Review Group (formerly Task Force) under the Cabinet Secretary, which has underlined the need to redraw the so-called ‘Red-corridor’, concentrating more on areas still dominated by Maoists and excluding those where the situation has improved. The report of the Centre’s Maoist Review Group recommends pruning the 106-strong list of LWE-affected districts by 20. The Centre has informed Bengal that the 22 companies posted in the four districts can be better utilised in other states, where the threat perception from Maoist activity is higher. But the state is worried about a resurgence in Maoist activities once the central forces are withdrawn.

Dumka: Over the past few days, police have arrested seven wanted CPI (Maoist) rebels, including sub-zonal commander Etwari Hembrom alias Timpu Soren alias Naresh Da and two women cadres, following a search operation in Maoist-dominated areas of the district. Based on a tip-off by Etwari, the other rebels were arrested from different villages in Kathikund, Shikaripara and Gopikandar areas. Some of the accused have been identified as Dipak Dehri, Motilal Dehri, Madhwa Dehri, Sonu Dehri, Shivani and Sumanti Dehri. The rebels, who have a number of cases lodged against them in Dumka and Pakur, were wanted for the murder of catholic nun Sister Valsa John, the ambush slain Pakur SP Amarjit Balihar’s cavalcade as well as the ambush on the polling team in the 2014 Lok Sabha election in Amrapara (Pakur) Kathikund and Shikaripara police station areas of the district, respectively.
Police, along with Jharkhand Jaguar and SSB personnel, seized communication devices, uniforms, a weaving machine, medicines, saline bottles, contraceptives and naxal literature during various raids.

“We could not find arms and ammunition from the hideouts despite rebels’ tip-off,” Dumka SP Prabhat Kumar said, adding the anti-Naxal operation will continue. SP Kumar said Hembrom was trained by the outfit to administer saline. Meanwhile, bauxite mining in Netarhat came to a halt on Friday as rebels continue to observe ‘martyrs’ week’. On July 25, a Maoist poster found at Kujam bauxite mine ordered operators to halt bauxite transportation. There are a dozen of bauxite mines including rich Gurdari, Kujam, Amptipani and others in Upper pat area alone while about 450 trucked carrying the aluminum ore ply daily on Upper pat route while another route is Serengdag route located in Ghaghra police station, not far away like the aforesaid Upper pat in the district. Hundreds of bauxite trucks also run in this route everyday.

Most of the trucks plying on the Upper pat route have been off the road because of the Red threat, said a truck owner. Only a few trucks are seen on the road these days, admitted OC of Bishunpur police station. Transportation of bauxite has been affected on account of Maoists observing martyr week.

The busy route which makes roadside business activities vibrant now seems to be lonely with bauxite mining operation coming to a halt, said a source. This is for the first time rebels as much number of rebels could be arrested by the police in the joint operation conducted by the security forces. Rest of the rebels been arrested by the security forces include Dipak Dehri, Motilal Dehri, Madhwa Dehri, Sonu Dehri, Shivani and Sumanti Dehri who all belong to different police stations of the district.

Motilal Dehri according to the SP is the boyfriend of Sumanti Dehri both belonging to Silangi village under Shikaripara police station of the district are lovers who influenced her to join the rebel organization. Dipak Dehri and Shivani both also belonging to Slangi village are married couple. SP said all the arrested rebels were hardcore ones who have undergone warfare training in Giridih.

In the wake of arrests of two women with alleged links to left-wing extremism the anti-naxal division here has intensified its surveillance in select areas of Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri. According to Superintendent of Police Bandi Gangadhar, of the entire West Zone, a strong naxal wing operates only in Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri.

Asked if there were any ‘suspects’, Mr. Bandi Gangadhar said, there is an assessment of activities of persons suspected to have links. Presently, the surveillance is on for only those already on the ‘State list’. According to sources, four persons from Dharmapuri are reportedly on the state list. Mr. Gangadhar said the naxal special division is being given capacity building.

With this, the number of Naxalites killed in encounters this year has gone up to 11, six of them being woman.

A WOMAN Naxal cadre was killed in an encounter in the Gatta area of Pendhri in Gadchiroli on Thursday. Incidentally, it was the first day of the Naxal martyrs’ week. The encounter ensued when Special Action Group (SAG) and Quick Response Team (QRT) were carrying out an intelligence-based operation in the Bhimpur forest in Gatta around 11.30 am. The two sides exchanged fire but the police maintained an upper hand, forcing the Naxals to retreat, according to a press note issued by Gadchiroli police.

“The body of a woman Naxal, one 12-bore gun, 25 bags and five tents were recovered from the spot,” the press note said. But the identity of the Naxal cadre was yet to be established. With this, the number of Naxalites killed in encounters this year has gone up to 11, six of them being woman. Even as the Naxals began their annual martyrs’ week on Thursday, the police started a counter-campign called Shanti Melawe (peace camps) for those tribal youths, who had been lured by the Naxals and were registered in police record for helping the movement (alleged sympathisers). “We are providing the youths with training in various skills for four days with free lodging and boarding facilities at nine of our sub-divisional headquarters. This is an opportunity for them to get a reprieve from police action,” said Superintendent of Police Abhinav Deshmukh.

A. Dharma Rao, from whose house in Berhampur of Odisha the most wanted Naxalite Sabyasachi Panda was arrested in 2014, was nabbed by a special team of city police on Wednesday. Since the arrest of Sabyasachi on July 18, 2014, the police had been in search of Rao, who was alleged to be an associate of the Maoist leader. Briefing newsmen, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Berhampur Trinath Patel said basing on intelligence reports that Rao was in Berhampur and trying to get admitted in a private hospital for treatment, a special squad was formed to track him down. He was rounded up while he was on his way to a private hospital at New Bus Stand Road.

Banners and posters appealling villagers to join their group have surfaced in Bithli region which is considered to be Naxal-sensitive. The distribution of banners and poster was done a day before the start of Naxal’s Shaheed Saptah which started from July 28 and would end on August 3.

Leaflets and pamphlets distributed in the village also issued warning to police informers. The pamphlets have been distributed by Maoist group active in Gadracholi division. According to information, villagers of Bithli turned panicky on July 27 after they found posters and banners distributed by Naxal activists. Naxals have made appeal to villagers to join their group and issued warning to informers to refrain from working for the police or else be ready to face dire consequences. The Naxal outfit has made an appeal to villagers to be part of week-long celebration on Naxali Shaheed Saptah. Amidst panic, villagers informed the police. Cops then reached the village to take stock of the situation and declared high alert in the village.

The distribution of posters and banners in the village has put the police on their toes. Sources inform that police have obtained input on the activities of Naxals in the village but are maintaining wait and watch policy. Security has been augmented in the village as any unknown person found moving around the village area is being kept under strict vigilance. Cops have affirmed finding red colour banner but have denied any distribution of poster and pamphlets. Superintendent of Police, Balaghat, Dr Asit Yadav, when contacted, said one Naxal banner has been found in village Bithli. “We have come to know about distribution of other publicity material like posters but no poster has been recovered by the police which searched the village. We have taken gravity of the developments that have taken place in the village just a day before Naxali Shaheed Saptah starting from July 28.” SP Balaghat said, presence of Naxal outfit cannot be ruled out from the village. “We have declared high alert in the region have increased search operation as cops are ready to give befitting reply to any naxal activity.”

Raipur, Jul 29 (PTI) A huge haul of explosives, including 1,838 gelatin sticks and 150 kg of ammonium nitrate, suspected to be meant for delivery to Naxals during their ongoing ‘martyrs week’, was today seized from Chhattisgarh’s insurgency-hit Bastar district. Two persons were also arrested with the cache, police said.

The recovery was made from the forests near Nagarnar police station area on Chhattisgarh-Odisha border, Inspector General of Police, Bastar Range SRP Kalluri told PTI. Acting on a tip-off about the presence of two suspects with a consignment near Dhanpunji railway crossing, located around 400 kms away from here in Nagarnar area, security forces were rushed to the spot last evening, he said.

During the search, two separate bags, filled with 1250 pieces of electronic detonators, were found from their possession following which the two were arrested, the IG said.The duo have been identified as Niranjan Das and Durjati Mahangkodo, natives of Koraput district in Odisha. “The arrested admitted that they supplied explosives and other related materials to Naxal commander Vinod in Chandameta area,” the IG said. According to the duo, they had recently struck a deal with Vinod to supply detonators, ammonium nitrate and explosives during the Martyrs s week being observed from July 28 till August 3 by rebels, he said.

Dumka (Jharkhand), Jul 29 (PTI) Seven Maoists, including a wanted rebel involved in the killing of Pakur SP Amarjit Balihar and several other policemen in 2014, were arrested from different areas in the district, police said today. Etwari Hembram alias Nareshda was arrested yesterday and six others Maoists, including two women, were caught on his information, SP Prabhat Kumar said. Kumar said Hembram was involved in the 2014 ambush on a police vehicle in which Balihar and several other policemen were killed at Kathikund in Dumka district.

Hembram was also involved in a landmine blast in the state in 2014 in which four policemen were killed and in the encounter at Sundar Pahari in Godda in which two policemen were killed, the SP said. The arrests took place following a tip-off and by joint raids of Sasastra Seema Bal and Jharkhand Jaguar, Kumar said adding that all of them were active from Giridih to Godda in the Santhal Pargana area and Hembram was the self-styled sub-zonal commander of Godda, Pakur and Dumka. Police recovered naxal literature, uniform, clothes, remote control, medicine, pouches and walkie talkies from them.

According to sources, CPI Maoists inaugurated a pylon at Pedabayalu mandal under the leadership of Pedabayalu committee commander Manganna. At Malkangiri district, a four-hour long meeting was held at Decarpodhar near Panasaput. The banned outfit paid tributes to martyrs at Amapavalli area in Nandapur area on the other side of the AP border.

According to police sources, the Maoists tied banners and pamphlets at Nurmathi and other areas of G Madugula mandal. “With the help of their colleagues from Odisha, naxals observed the martyrs week in the district interiors. We have information that some of the big leaders of AOB also attended the meetings,” a senior cop in the anti naxal force on condition of anonymity said. Two days earlier, naxals had paid tributes to martyrs Kudumula Ravi, Azad, Kamala and Anand at Kumkumpudi by writing their names on a huge pylon painted red. Cops suspect the Reds may inaugurate a martyrs pylon in Kannavaram village this week.

On July 18, 2016, 10 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel belonging to the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) were killed and five others were injured in a Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) orchestrated Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast and encounter in the Chakarbanda-Dumarinala forests of Aurangabad District. Three Maoists were also killed in the encounter. Arms and ammunition, including an AK-47 rifle, Indian Small Arms System (INSAS) rifle and Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL), were also recovered from the encounter site. Commenting on the incident, Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) P.K. Thakur disclosed that eight paramilitary troopers were killed immediately and two of the five wounded died in a hospital.

In the preceding month, on June 19, 2016, a CRPF trooper, identified as A. Deka, was killed and two of his colleagues, identified as A.K. Yadav and K. Kakoti, were injured in an IED blast carried out by the Maoists near Bandhu Bigaha village in Aurangabad District. The Maoists triggered the blast when three personnel of the 205th CoBRA unit were riding on two motorcycles on their way to their camp from Bali Pahari locality.

Significantly, on January 11, 2016, while, commenting on the January 8, 2016, encounter in which four Maoists were killed in Bandh Gorya village under Dhibra Police Station area in Aurangabad District, the CPI-Maoist ‘central zonal spokesman,’ Paramjeet had threatened to avenge the killing. Later on, Maoists pamphlets found from Deo and Dhibra localities read:

Preliminary investigation of the Aurangabad Maoist attack suggested that the ultras were well prepared for the incident. They had lured the Security Forces (SFs) to the area by telephonically passing on false information. They had also planted hundreds of IEDs in advance, orchestrating a total of 352 land mine blasts on the fateful day. Giving further details about the incident, a senior Police official stated that, initially, the operation was launched on July 17 to arrest Sandeep Yadav, a dreaded Maoist, facing over 80 cases in Bihar and Jharkhand. Later, the Superintendent of Police (SP), Aurangabad District, joined the CoBRA team on July 18 with a team of the District Police and another CoBRA unit. However, it has been learnt that the team was heavily dependent on Global Positioning System (GPS) positioning and feedback but did not take the help of local intelligence.

The Aurangabad incident will go a long way in denting the morale of the SF personnel not just in Bihar but across all theatres of Left Wing Extremist (LWE) conflict in India. The manner in which the Maoists planned and trapped the SFs speaks volume of the hold the ultras enjoy in the region. Aurangabad along with Gaya and Jamui has been the epicentre of Maoist-violence in Bihar…

RANCHI: A high alert has been declared in Jharkhand following reports of CPI (Maoist) planning to observe martyrs’ week from July 28 to August 3. Annual event to remember the “supreme sacrifices of the brave comrades who have laid down their lives in the effort to make the people’s revolutionary war a success,” the martyrs’ week is usually an occasion of spirited Maoist activities.
Two days before the martyrs’ week begins, police have started extensive area domination exercises and long range patrolling in areas where Maoists dominate.

Maoists have released posters to announce the martyrs’ week. The state police suspect that the Maoists would try to mark the occasion with attacks on police/security establishments and important installations.

IG operations M S Bhatia said posters have been found in Gumla. “We have information that the Maoists are planning to observe the occasion with all seriousness. They usually try to attack security forces to mark the occasion. An alert has been sounded,” Bhatia said.
The alert, sent to all the SPs and CRPF units deployed in the countryside to assist the police, has asked them to remain vigilant and do not allow any operational laxity during operations, area domination exercises and long range patrolling. The district police have also been asked to ensure security of installations which are strategically important but vulnerable as they are located in deep Maoist pockets.

In Maoists calendar Martyrs’ week assumes the place of highest significance. Maoist leaders gather villagers in inaccessible jungles where programmes are held to glorify the lives of communist revolutionaries like Charu Majumdar and Kanu Sanyal, the founders of the Naxalbari movement. They also urge people to join their ranks to further the revolutionary war against the state. Movements of Maoists from one place to another place to organize such meetings usually give police a chance to trap them.

In some districts of Jharkhand the police have been asked to be watchful against the movement of Maoist groups. The focus areas are Jharkhand-Bihar border. It is suspected that after Aurangabad encounter Maoists will move towards Jharkhand. Similar focus has been paid to Jharkhand-Chhattisgarh border where Maoists are very active.

“During the week-long event we will work in coordination with police of neighboring states,” said Bhatia. This year the martyrs’ week throws more challenges for police because Maoists are reportedly in high spirits following recent encounters which caused grater loss to police. In Giridih and Latehar Maoists killed two CoBRA jawans and a police constable in Gumla. In recent past they have successfully instilled fear in people after they killed some civilians for allegedly helping police gather intelligence.

Raipur, Jul 27: A Maoist was today shot dead in a fierce gun battle with security forces in Sukma district of the state on the eve of Naxal’s “Martyr’s week”, police said. “The skirmish took place in forests under Polampalli police station limits (in south Bastar) between a joint team of security forces and ultras,” superintendent of police, Sukma, Indira Kalyan Elesela told. On the eve of ‘Martyrs Week’ to be observed by Maoists from tomorrow, the alert was issued to all police stations and camps to maintain extra vigil to prevent and counter any attack or sabotage activity, he said.

“After receiving specific inputs about the presence of a huge group of cadres near Polampalli under the leadership of Maoist commanders Aapu Pada and Bhima, a composite squad of Special Task Force (STF) and District Reserve Group (DRG) were pressed into action immediately,” the SP said.
When security forces were cordoning off interior jungles, a group of around 60 insurgents opened indiscriminate fire on them, triggering a heavy gunfight between the two sides, the SP said. “During the search conducted following the encounter, the body of a naxal, a country made gun (with double barrel), and pamphlets were recovered from the spot,” he said…

Even as the police claim that Maoists are losing ground and their activities have come down in Andhra Pradesh, the movement of extremist sympathisers in the capital region is worrying the intelligence agencies. A couple of Maoist leaders had been arrested in the region in the recent past. What caused consternation among the intelligence personnel was the observance of the 41st death anniversary of Maoist leader Surapaneni Janardhan in his native village Garikaparru of Thotlavallur mandal in Krishna district on Monday.

Janardhan, a student of REC Warangal, took part in many revolutionary movements in the Telangana and Srikakulam areas. He was killed in an exchange of fire on July 25, 1975. He was also State Committee member of the People’s War Group (PWG). Revolutionary poet Varavara Rao, Virasam State secretary Varalakshmi, and leaders V.V. Krishna Rao and Y. Venkateswara Rao attended the death anniversary.

It is learnt that the Maoist sympathisers are planning to observe the death anniversary of PWG leader and former MLA and MP Tarimela Nagi Reddi at Governorpet in Vijayawada on Thursday. A native of Anantapur district, Nagi Reddy was popularly known as ‘TN’. He died on July 28, 1976. Activists of the Amaraveerula Bandhu Mitrula Committee, Virasam, and other like-minded parties, and Maoist sympathisers are likely to attend the programme.

Martyr’s Week

Meanwhile, the CPI (Maoist) has given a call to observe Martyr’s Memorial Week from July 28 to August 4. As part of it, it proposes to organise meetings and protest against killing of extremists.

“Maoists will observe Martyr’s Memorial Week in the Agency areas, particularly on the Andhra Odisha Border (AOB), Telangana-Chhattisgarh border, and in the tribal hamlets of East Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts. Public representatives and bureaucrats who are on the hit list are cautioned against going in to villages without prior intimation,” a police officer said.

Malkangiri: With Maoists observing the Martyrs’ week beginning today till August 3, security has been tightened across Koraput, Rayagada and Malkangiri districts. Many posters and banners put up by the red rebels on account of the observance of the Martyrs’ week were seen at various places.

In Koraput distrct, police are on high alert and security arrangements have been beefed up. Check posts have been set up at various entry points into the district and vehicles entering Koraput are being checked by police personnel. According sources, government bus services on various routes have been cancelled on account of the Martyrs’ week. Government buses on Jeypore-Malkangiri, Bhadarchalam-Paua and Rayagada routes stayed off road.

Bokaro Thermal police have launched extensive patrolling along with Jharkhand jaguar police force to keep track of Maoists, who are observing Martyrs Week in the pocket of Nawadih block. The Bokaro Superintendent of Police, YS Ramesh has also directed the police stations to remain on maximum alert. “The officers have been directed to maintain a tight vigil and tap their respective information network that can lead us to the Naxals squads,” stated Ramesh.

While Bokaro Thermal Officer-in charge cum Inspector Rajesh Kujur told The Pioneer that we have begun an extensive search operation in our jurisdiction as there are possibilities that the police personnel might have taken refuge in our area and probably lost their way in the dense jungle. In villages close to Nawadih block, a search operation was being led by Officer-in charge Rajesh Kujur who stated that on Monday several Maoists posters have been found pasted in different localities of Bokaro Thermal, Naya basti, Kanjkiro, Pillpillo besides Upperghat villages area. The posters give and inkling of their intension to enter in urban area of Bermo sub-division. Officer in charge Rajesh Kujur said that some banners were also placed in different locations but the police removed them.

Sources said Maoists ultras were observing mourning day to condole the death of their fellow cadres who died for cause of the organisations. However, no report of any untoward incident was reported from any place till late on Wednesday evening.

New Delhi: Indian Railways has sanctioned a proposal to install 162 CCTV cameras at the cost of Rs 3.26 crore at 10 stations falling in Maoist-affected “Red Corridor” for round-the-clock monitoring, parliament was told on Wednesday. In a written reply to Lok Sabha during question hour, Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain said that the department has initiated numerous measures to ensure security of passengers in this area.

“Other measures include round the clock assistance to trains through 182 security helpline, implementation of Integrated Security System at sensitive stations, networking of security control rooms, etc”, he said, adding security has been identified as one of the priorities.

An alert has been issued across all seven districts in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh in view of the “Martyrs’ week” to be observed by Maoists from Thursday. The security forces in the highly-sensitive Sukma district have been asked to maintain high vigil. Maoists observe “Martyrs’ week” every year from July 28 to August 4 in remembrance of their “fallen comrades.”

Bhubaneswar: Security personnel on Wednesday arrested Darabha Maoist division area commander Radha in Malkangriri district. Padia police station and Special Operation Group personnel nabbed the hard core woman Maoist during a joint raid, sources said. Radha is involved in a number of Maoists violence in Chhattisgarh and Odisha. Police of both the States were searching Radha for long. Arrest of Radha is breakthrough for Odisha Police. As she was area commander, her arrests will certainly demoralise other cadres who were working under her, said police.

A powerful improvised explosive device (IED) planted by Maoists to harm troopers has been recovered by the security personnel from an insurgency-hit pocket in Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon district. “The explosive, weighing around 15-20 kg, was unearthed by a joint team of security personnel near a culvert on Aundhi-Sharda Road under Aundhi police station limits,” Rajnandgaon Superintendent of Police, Prashant Agarwal said. Based on specific inputs, a joint squad of Special Task Force (STF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and district force launched an anti-Maoist operation towards Sarkheda, Sharda and Pendodi villages of Aundhi, located around 170 kms away from Raipur.

RAYAGADA: ELABORATE security arrangements have been made in the district ahead of the martyrs’ week of the Maoists starting Thursday. As the Maoist groups never leave any chance to recruit youths for their outfit, police are on high alert apprehending violence during the week.

Besides intensifying combing operations, checking vehicles in sensitive areas and patrolling round the clock are on in full-wing in Kalyansinghpur, Bissamcuttack, Muniguda, Chandrapur and Kashipur blocks. It is observed that after the arrest of top Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda, though the Maoist activities have reduced to a large extent, the aides of Panda are active in Niyamgiri hill creating a strong base. If sources are to be believed, the radicals are making an effort to creep into remote pockets of Chandrapur block.

Moreover, to make their presence felt they had put posters and banners citing some demands in Parshali village of Kalyansinghpur block. On February 27, one Manda Kadraka of Dangamati village was killed in police encounter. Rayagada Superintendent of Police K Siba Subramani said combing operation against the Maoist will be intensified as coordinated action plan is being launched to counter resurgence of Maoists in different parts of the district. There will be no let up on the onslaught against extremists. The Government buses will remain off from the road during observation.

As usual, the Maoists have pasted posters and tied banners asking people to observe the week in Visakha Agency, one of the areas in which it has considerable presence. On Wednesday, in charge Director-General of Police N. Sambasiva Rao reportedly tried to fly to G.K. Veedhi in the Agency area, but his helicopter could not land because of bad weather. However, the helicopter carrying Additional DGP A.B. Venkateswara Rao, IG (coastal Andhra) Viswa Jeet, and DIG, Visakha Range, Ch. Srikanth, could land. The officials reportedly asked police personnel to be on alert.

There are reports of pylons constructed in memory of Maoists killed in the past being painted afresh at places like Teemulabanda, and banners and posters appearing in Maddigavuru, Nurmathi, and Boithili in the G. K. Veedhi mandal. It is to be seen as to how the Maoists would strengthen themselves in the Agency area with the help of the bauxite mining issue. Meanwhile, the police, along with CRPF, are taking all precautions. Though the security forces have not stepped up their activity visibly, combing operation is going on and they are ready to face any eventuality.

The Maoists, having suffered reverses in the last one year following death of cadre in exchanges of fire and surrender of a few top leaders, it likely to resort to violence, apart from conducting meetings and constructing pylons to pay homage to those killed in police action, making fresh recruitments, and spreading the party ideology. Police, who have been on alert, says that they are ready to face any eventuality

The Judicial Magistrate-I here on Tuesday granted the ‘Q’ Branch CID three days police custody of two suspected women Maoists who were arrested recently. The Q Branch police had arrested M. Kala (52) of Theevattipatti in Salem district and Chandra (51), both of whom were working in a textile unit, alleging that they were involved in subversive activities.

The police booked them under IPC Section 120 (b) (criminal conspiracy) and Sections 18, 18-A, 18-B and 38 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The ‘Q’ Branch CID, who brought Kala and Chandra from Tiruchi prison and produced them before the Judicial Magistrate-I Mohanavalli on Tuesday, sought five-day police custody to interrogate them. However, the Magistrate granted three days custody and directed the police to produce them on July 29.